Giant/Martin's Food Stores recently announced it is setting its starting associate wage at $9 per hour beginning June 2015 as part of the company's commitment to providing competitive wages. Giant/Martin's will also increase the hourly wage for current associates to a minimum of $9 an hour in June.

"Our associates are the foundation of our success, and we have always believed in paying competitive wages to attract the best talent," said Tom Lenkevich, GIANT/MARTIN'S president.

Pinebrook Family Answers presented award

Pinebrook Family Answers was recently awarded the Leonard Pool Impact Award. Presented by Air Products, the award recognizes a non-profit organization that demonstrates commitment to community leadership, engagement, and improves lives- all characteristics exemplified by Leonard Parker Pool, the founder of Air Products.

Woodmont Industrial Partners, a leading development and management firm, recently announced that it has signed a lease renewal with Hearth & Home, the world's leading producer and installer of hearth products, at 9747 Commerce Circle in Kutztown.

Hearth & Home, which signed a five-year lease, will expand its existing space from 138,457 square feet to 173,701 square feet — an increase of more than 35,000 square feet.

Located within the Arcadia West Industrial Park, less than half a mile away from Interstate 78, the property is a 385,000-square-foot, Class A distribution center in the heart of the Lehigh Valley industrial market. The strategic location not only provides easy access to I-78, but also to I-476 and Route 22, giving tenants the logistic ability to interact with Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania as well as Central and Northern New Jersey.

The 2015 Easton Heritage Day Committee recently announced that it has designed a new website for the Heritage Day celebration on July 12. The website, http://www.heritageday.org, was launched in mid April, according to Diane Bower, Heritage Day Committee Chair.

Highlights of the festival include:

•Join in a spirited debate led by more than a dozen Town Criers from Canada and several states about independence from Great Britain (Patriots) or continued allegiance to King George III (Loyalists).

•Witness the re-enactment of the July 8, 1776 reading of the Declaration of Independence in Easton, with Christopher Black as Robert Levers.

•Visit with re-enactors from the French & Indian War through World War II and period crafters in an around Centre Square.

•Engage the kids in continuous free shows all afternoon.

•Cap off a full day of history, live music, food and beer with a spectacular riverfront fireworks show.

•New this year is an International Town Crier "Cry Off" on Saturday, July 11 at Weyerbacher Brewery and at the former German Reformed Church in downtown Easton.

PMC awarded Advanced Certification

Pocono Medical Center announced that it has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations and means that expert stroke care is available right here in the community.

Pocono Medical Center underwent a rigorous onsite review on January 30, 2015. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement. "Pocono Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers," said Wendi J. Roberts, RN, executive director, Certification Programs. "We commend Pocono Medical Center for becoming a leader in stroke care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for stroke patients in its community."

Mount Airy Casino Resort earns AAA rating

For the fourth consecutive year, Mount Airy Casino Resort, has been awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Rating. Mount Airy Casino Resort was the first casino resort in Pennsylvania to have received this prominent award.

The AAA Four Diamond Rating is assigned to lodgings that feature an extensive array of amenities combined with a high degree of hospitality, service, and attention to detail. Restaurants at this level offer a distinctive fine-dining experience marked by high quality ingredients, creative presentation, and attentive service. Only 4.8 percent of the 30,000 lodgings approved by AAA make the Four Diamond list.

"It is such an honor to have achieved this award for the fourth consecutive year," stated John Culetsu, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Mount Airy Casino Resort. "We are truly committed to providing the highest quality of dining, gaming and luxury accommodations to our guests, and this award highlights that commitment and the work that we have done and will continue to do," he added."